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SBIR Phase I: Microbial Synthesis of Propylene

Award Information
Agency: National Science Foundation
Branch: N/A
Contract: 1142459
Agency Tracking Number: 1142459
Amount: $150,000.00
Phase: Phase I
Program: SBIR
Solicitation Topic Code: BC
Solicitation Number: N/A
Timeline
Solicitation Year: 2012
Award Year: 2012
Award Start Date (Proposal Award Date): 2012-01-01
Award End Date (Contract End Date): 2012-06-30
Small Business Information
1005 North Warson Road
Saint Louis, MO 63132-2900
United States
DUNS: 965095503
HUBZone Owned: No
Woman Owned: No
Socially and Economically Disadvantaged: No
Principal Investigator
 Abhay Singh
 (314) 669-2592
 asingh@mogene.com
Business Contact
 Abhay Singh
Phone: (314) 669-2592
Email: asingh@mogene.com
Research Institution
 Stub
Abstract

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project aims to engineer a biocatalyst for efficient transformation of feedstocks into a linear, volatile olefin, namely propylene. Current production of propylene from fossil fuels is unsustainable from economical, environmental, and social perspective. The biomass-based technologies being developed also are limited by either the low specificity of chemical processing or product toxicity to microorganisms. To overcome these challenges, a novel pathway for direct fermentation of feedstocks into propylene will be utilized. The functional attributes of propylene, such as insolubility in aqueous solutions and high vapor pressure, make their production process from microbial organisms facile by eliminating issues associated with product toxicity and recovery. The current proposal outlines plans to optimize biocatalyst efficiency by redirecting metabolite fluxes towards propylene. This will be achieved by deregulation of the relevant metabolic pathways with elimination of the known bottlenecks. The outcome of this project will be a "fast-to-market" biocatalyst that transforms feedstocks into propylene, a primary building block for petrochemical industries. The broader impact/commercial potential of this project, if successful, will be the development of a technology for microbial production of an important chemical intermediate, propylene, from renewable and sustainable feedstocks with broad applications in fuels and products. Propylene is one of the largest olefin used by petrochemical industries with a market value exceeding $100 billion. It is expected that by 2015, demand will outpace the propylene production capacity. Success of the proposed project would, therefore, lead to a timely development of a biorefinery industry for production of propylene from cheap and renewable feedstocks. Moreover, the knowledge gained from this project will be leveraged in optimization of biocatalysts for production of other olefins, thereby opening new market opportunity. Success of the proposed process technology will contribute to the economic and energy security of the U.S. by reducing the dependence on fossil fuels.

* Information listed above is at the time of submission. *

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